Furthermore, at baseline and at 36-38 week, blood plasma samples were collected in order to investigate: plasma pro- and anti-inflammatory markers related to obesity and to visceral adipose tissue (interferon-γ, interleukin-1α, interleukin-1β, interleukin-2, interleukin-4, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-10, interleukin-12p70, and tumor necrosis factor-α).